


the phantom

by poodleyeol



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Blow Jobs, Breathplay, Heatplay, M/M, Obsession!AU, PWP, Penetration, Public Sex, Smut, clones!au, pining boys, powers!AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:01:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21731917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poodleyeol/pseuds/poodleyeol
Summary: sehun's been missing for more than a year, and chanyeol thinks he's finally found him again... or has he?
Relationships: Oh Sehun/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 15
Kudos: 141





	the phantom

**Author's Note:**

> this is like. the fastest ive ever written a fic of this length ;u;
> 
> thank u to the obsession mv for giving me the inspiration for this dirty fic, and thank you to everyone on twitter who liked the idea ;U; none of my fics would exist without u guys
> 
> and a special thank u to my wonderful girlfriend, who is my #1 cheerleader and also a great editor! (pls go find her at @kaisoochateau, is also on ao3 and writes amazing kaisoo and sometimes chanhun, i highly recommend)
> 
> also, i checked online, so i'm pretty sure my science is correct (you'll see what i mean when u get there), but if it's not, pls suspend ur disbelief :)

The train lightly jostles from side to side as Chanyeol glances over the faces of the other passengers.

It’s been almost a full year since he came to this city, and Chanyeol’s only ever really become familiar with Line 7, the subway he catches every night to get from his shitty part time job to his even shittier apartment. In the beginning, he would spend the forty-minute ride scanning each and every person who got on or off, but there’s just too many people in Shanghai, and Chanyeol’s getting too tired to stay committed to his search, the hope he originally had of finding Sehun - with ultimately zero leads - slowly fading.

When Junmyeon had told them all to go into hiding, Chanyeol instantly knew this is where he’d come, remembering that Shanghai was a city Sehun had always wanted to visit, and 24 million people sounded like a much smaller number back then. By that point, Sehun had been missing for a few months, long enough that the others had already given up and assumed he was--

Chanyeol stops those thoughts in their tracks, gripping onto the plastic handle tighter and steeling himself still as the train takes a harsh turn. He won’t even entertain the idea that Sehun’s not alive anymore, and he doesn’t get why everyone else was so quick to abandon him like that.

Then again, it’s not like the others are in love with Sehun like he is.

And at least his fruitless search for Sehun gives Chanyeol something to do with his life. Since Junmyeon still won’t let anyone go after the clones - not until he’s done more research, he says - everyone is just scattered across the globe, milling about without any purpose, except to avoid attracting attention at all costs. He doesn’t know what the others are doing, not having spoken to anyone in months, but Chanyeol’s usual passions have mostly dwindled into nothing, his motivation snuffed out by long evening shifts at 7/11, crippling loneliness, and just an all-round pointlessness for existing.

More out of habit now than anything, Chanyeol continues to skim through the crowd on the train. He’s seen most of these people before, a lot of business men and cram students returning home from a late night’s work. They stare aimlessly out the windows that have no view, or down at the screens of their phones, and Chanyeol gets a sudden shock when a pair of sharp eyes look up to meet his gaze.

His body reacts before his mind can even catch up, adrenaline shooting through his system as his heart begins to race. He knows those eyes, and even though it’s practically impossible, Chanyeol can’t help but feel all his hope come rushing back.

Their gazes stay locked for what feels like an eternity, until the train stops with a screech and a sharp jolt. The doors open, and as quickly as they found each other, Sehun’s eyes vanish back into the crowd.

Panic immediately sets in, and without thinking, Chanyeol rushes onto the station platform. He has no idea where they’ve gotten off, but he couldn’t care less, desperately searching for any sign that his mind wasn’t just playing a cruel trick on him this whole time.

Through the horde of strangers, the head of someone slightly taller comes into view, a pair of wide-set shoulders weaving through the other bodies, and Chanyeol locks his sight on their short mess of dark hair as he pushes past everyone else.

The figure bobs in and out of view, waves of people being a constant obstacle as Chanyeol frantically follows him up the subway staircase and through the station. By the time the crowds scatter out the entrance, finally giving Chanyeol some room to move, he fears he’s fallen too far behind, the man he’s trailing already slipped into a dark side alley.

Chanyeol picks up his pace and begins to run, determined to shorten their distance but only catching glimpses of the man as he rounds each corner through the streets, more and more deserted and quiet with every turn. Eventually, there’s nothing but run-down buildings and dim lights illuminating small piles of trash, and Chanyeol ignores all the red flags of this dodgy neighbourhood as he chases forward. 

Because he’s found Sehun, at last, and Chanyeol won’t even let himself consider the alternative.

He can just barely hear the faint footsteps ahead over the sound of his heavy breathing, but both are interrupted suddenly by the sound of dragging metal, and when Chanyeol reaches the end of the block, he sees a wall of chain link surrounding a towering abandoned building, with a thin gap in the fence just wide enough for Chanyeol to squeeze through. The echo of shoes on concrete lead him to a winding stairwell, and Chanyeol spirals upwards, following the noise for about ten flights, the pounding in his heart numbing any exhaustion.

He stops when he reaches the last steps, a heavy fire escape door labelled  _ ROOFTOP _ the last thing between him and the only important thing in the world, but Chanyeol can’t bring himself to rush out the door, his nerves going wild as he slowly approaches the handlebar. Placing his hand on the cool metal, Chanyeol freezes, the whistles and howls outside suddenly making him apprehensive. He pushes, hesitantly at first, until the door catches in the strong wind outside and whips open, and this instantly feels  _ wrong _ .

Stepping out into a violent storm without the rain, Chanyeol looks forward at its catalyst. A dark figure stands in the middle of the roof, and Chanyeol can still see his features in the moonlight. He looks exactly like Chanyeol always remembered him, with his strong shoulders and tall frame, his smooth skin and his soft lips. But there’s a harsh coldness in his eyes that shouldn’t be there, and Chanyeol feels his whole world sink into despair just by meeting his sharp gaze.

“Hyung,” he calls out, his voice ripping at Chanyeol’s heart because it’s  _ perfect _ , the exact same voice that whispers in his dreams every night. “I can’t believe I found you.”

Sehun smiles, pulling his face into something that should be warm and loving, but it doesn’t reach far enough, a terrible imitation of Chanyeol’s favourite sight that makes him sick to his core.

It’s his last chance to buy into this fantasy, but even Chanyeol isn’t that desperate, and as much as it breaks him, he knows this clone is nothing like the Sehun he loves.

“Don’t you dare call me that.” Chanyeol feels the sadness inside him bubble and boil, fueling his growing anger as his palms begin to heat up. He’s fallen right into the clone’s trap, but Chanyeol can’t feel stupid about it now, he needs to concentrate on staying alive.

Sehun frowns at his response, obviously disappointed. 

“I should have known you’d realise…” he trails, the winds surrounding him picking up as he walks towards Chanyeol, who has to adjust his feet to stay grounded against the blasts.

If Junmyeon were here, he’d be furiously telling him to get the fuck out, but Chanyeol’s sick and tired of running, his fingertips burning until they ignite, small flames resting against his palms.

“How did you find me?” Chanyeol can’t help but ask, the question slipping out before he can even think it, although he’s pretty sure he already knows the answer.

Sehun chuckles, stopping in front of Chanyeol and standing close enough that his scent wafts over -  _ fuck _ , even his perfume is the same. “You made it pretty easy when you posted that song online. What was it called again?  _ Borderline? _ ”

Chanyeol curses himself silently. It had been a moment of weakness, after one too many beers on an extra lonely night, when Chanyeol made a hopeless attempt at maybe reaching Sehun. Junmyeon had lost his shit, and Chanyeol had to take the song down after a few minutes, but it seems like that was more than enough to land him in danger.

“Doesn’t take much hacking to pinpoint your location from that, not to mention the obvious alias,  _ LOEY _ .” Sehun’s expression was triumphant, the same face he’d make when he’d beat Chanyeol in a shitty game like PUBG, laughing at his sore loser of a hyung while Chanyeol would pout for hours, a memory that hurts now more than ever. “Sorry that the wrong Sehun responded.”

This stupid mistake of his could cost him his life, but Chanyeol is determined not to let it, the fire in his hands bursting into larger flames. He’s got no idea how he’s meant to kill someone who looks just like the love of his life, but at this point, Chanyeol doesn’t really have any other choice.

He lunges forward, shooting out a flame from his right hand to attack, but Sehun seems to step out of the way perfectly in time, and before Chanyeol can land his feet safely on the concrete, a strong gust of wind whips him from underneath and topples him onto his back.

“You still always strike from the right.” Sehun smirks, triumphant expression growing as he stands over Chanyeol, who’s now overcome with shock. 

Junmyeon had always warned them that the clones have all the same memories of their counterparts, but Chanyeol hadn’t been prepared for how deep that knowledge would run. Panic starts to set in as Chanyeol realises that the years of sparring and fighting with Sehun before his disappearance might just be his downfall.

And not just the sparring, but his whole relationship with Sehun, the most powerful weapon, is in the hands of this clone, and Chanyeol suddenly has no idea how he’s going to win this.

But he can’t give up before he’s barely started. Pushing himself up onto his feet, Chanyeol continues to strike, hot bursts of orange flying from his hands in a fury of fire. But one after the other, the flames disappear before they can even hit Sehun, who remains completely unphased.

“Confused?” Sehun asks, a dark and playful grin on his lips as Chanyeol realises that Sehun is still a step ahead of him. “Do you know what a fire needs to stay alive, hyung? I’ll give you a clue.”

And in an instant, Chanyeol can’t breathe.

It’s as if he’s surrounded by a vacuum, and each time he tries to take a breath, there’s nothing there, until before long, he finds himself choking. He can’t even gasp or cough, all he can do is desperately clutch at his throat, falling to his knees as his chest burns and his head starts to spin.

It feels like an eternity until the air comes rushing back, the relief filling his lungs as he sucks in all the oxygen he can, his body trembling with fear.

_ Fuck _ … Chanyeol thinks to himself. Sehun had never been able to do that when they would spar together - if he had, there would have been no point. Without oxygen, Chanyeol can’t keep a single fire aflame. He’s got nothing.

Sehun takes a few more steps toward him before kneeling down, now at eye level, and suddenly, the vacuum appears again.

“There’s nothing you can do.” Sehun’s face is mere inches away from his, but the breath Chanyeol should be able to feel isn’t there. His expression is heavy, his eyes dark and unreadable, and Chanyeol is terrified that he’s going to die here and now, the burning coming on faster this time as his body starts to cry out for air.

“Why--” Chanyeol chokes past the shards in his throat, his words barely coming out of his dry mouth. “Why-- me?”

The vacuum dissipates and Chanyeol gasps, tears in the corners of his eyes as he finally breathes again, deep into his lungs as his energy slowly comes back.

In front of him, Sehun frowns, his brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“ _ ‘There can only be one’ _ , right?” Chanyeol’s voice comes out hoarse as he talks, and he swallows to get some moisture back into his throat. He thinks back to what Junmyeon had told everyone after their first encounter with the clones, their sole purpose for existence. “Why are you trying to kill me? Shouldn’t you be going after yourself?”

Sehun huffs, and Chanyeol can finally feel his breath now, hot against his face. “You assume I haven’t already killed him.”

_ Ouch _ . The words stings like salt in a deep wound, and they hurt even more than the burning in his chest moments ago. But Chanyeol can see something behind Sehun’s eyes, an emotion he can’t place, and he has to keep digging.

“So what?” Chanyeol fights the wince he feels in his heart. “If you’ve killed Sehun, then there’s only one of you. Your job is done.” When Sehun’s expression doesn’t change, Chanyeol keeps going.

“You clones are meant to feel nothing, right? Completely selfish, no emotions or empathy, not even for each other.” There it is, a flash of something across Sehun’s face, a twitch of his lips, that lets Chanyeol know he’s on the right track. “But you’re helping your clone-hyungs by killing more of us.” A bittersweet thought crosses Chanyeol’s mind, and he can’t help but let out a small chuckle. “Looks like you’re more like  _ our _ Sehun than I thought.”

While he’s distracted, Chanyeol lets out a small burst of fire at Sehun’s feet, just enough to singe the tips of his shoes and startle him, making him fall backwards. Chanyeol jumps to his feet to crouch over him, feeling like he’s finally weaseled his way out of danger. But Chanyeol can see in Sehun’s eyes that there’s still more to uncover.

“You’re taking your time with me,” he says, his confidence surging from seeing Sehun underneath him. “You even said so yourself, I don’t stand a chance. So what’s taking you so long?”

Sehun suddenly breaks their gaze, looking away with a panicked glance. It’s the first real expression Chanyeol’s seen him have, and that’s when he finally understands.

“You’re in love with him, aren’t you?  _ Your _ Chanyeol. X-Chanyeol.”

He sees Sehun try to stop the contortion on his face, but it’s too late, the rawness of it hurting Chanyeol way more than it should, and he knows he’s hit the nail on the head.

Chanyeol watches as Sehun looks down and sighs, seeming to have resigned, the energy draining from his features.

“Yeah… I am.” His words come out quiet but heavy, laced with so much emotion that it could only be real. “Just like you, I’m hopelessly in love with someone who will never know.”

Sehun’s response leaves Chanyeol completely speechless. The last thing he’d ever expected was to empathise with a clone, he didn’t even think it was possible. But as he kneels in front of his enemy, Chanyeol knows with all his heart that they both understand each other’s pain perfectly.

He feels his opportunity to take control slipping away, but Chanyeol just finds himself frozen, overwhelmed by this strange atmosphere around them, until he’s pulled out of his own head by Sehun speaking again.

“Say…” he starts, staring straight up at Chanyeol and making his stomach flip slightly. “Do you wanna make a deal?”

There’s still pain in his eyes, but there’s something else lying behind them, too, something that sends a shiver through Chanyeol’s spine.

His breaths begin to shorten, and Chanyeol starts to panic when he realises that the oxygen is dropping again, but it’s different this time, there still being just enough air to keep him afloat. Flinching as Sehun raises one of his hands, Chanyeol watches in apprehension as it moves slowly towards him, waiting for it to suddenly grab at his throat or punch him in the face. 

Confusion sets in when it lands on his upper thigh, too gentle to be dangerous, but too firm to be safe, and Chanyeol feels his heart rate pick up as it starts to slide inwards.

“W-What are you--” Chanyeol chokes out, but Sehun interrupts.

“You’re in love with me, sort of.” Sehun reaches Chanyeol’s crotch and gives it a slow, purposeful rub, making a gasp escape Chanyeol before he can stop it, blood rushing from his head all too quickly. “And I’m in love with you, sort of.”

Hearing those words in Sehun’s voice, coming out of his soft lips, it’s already too much to bear, his chest yearning before Chanyeol can even remind himself that this isn’t really him, and when Sehun palms him harder, the shock of pleasure instantly clouds all coherent thoughts.

“Before we battle it out and kill each other…” The words come out silky and smooth, teasing Chanyeol just as much as his hand. “We could…”

“What,  _ battle it out?” _ The joke slips out before he can stop it, and the laugh Chanyeol hears in response completely destroys him, because that’s exactly what Sehun would have done, his eyes curving into crescents as the grin takes over his face.

After a brief chuckle, Sehun’s smile falters, his expression becoming shyer, and it instantly reminds Chanyeol of the very first day they met.

“You don’t want to? Hyung?”

It’s that sweet, bashful Sehun that Chanyeol had first fallen for, and every moment since then, every knowing glance, every slightly prolonged touch, every stupid joke they shared, it all comes rushing back, and with the lack of air and blood in his head and the pressure in his jeans, Chanyeol is completely overwhelmed, feeling himself fall right into Sehun’s trap as he pushes forward.

His lips feel as soft as they always looked, but Sehun kisses Chanyeol back hard and rough, all teeth and tongue, his breath hot in Chanyeol’s mouth. He pins Sehun’s arm onto the cold concrete, a desperate attempt to remain in control, but with every squeeze on his clothed cock he falters, his body thrusting into Sehun’s palm before he can even stop it. Chanyeol doesn’t even notice Sehun undo the button and fly of his pants, only realising when he feels warm fingers against his bare skin, slowly sliding past the waistband of his boxers.

“I have an idea,” Sehun murmurs against Chanyeol’s neck, who can barely hear him over the sound of his blood pumping, and by this point he’s at complete mercy to the hand that lightly wraps around his base. It gives Chanyeol a few torturous strokes before disappearing completely as Sehun pulls away, making Chanyeol groan.

“Stand up,” Sehun orders, and Chanyeol obeys without a thought, hypnotised by Sehun’s smooth voice. Grabbing onto Chanyeol’s shoulder, Sehun pushes him back, further and further until Chanyeol feels the back of his heels hit something solid, and by the way the wind whips against his back, he knows they’ve reached the edge.

The roof has no proper boundary, only a foot tall block of concrete surrounding its perimeter, just wide enough for a person to stand on, but when Chanyeol works out what Sehun wants, the danger only makes him feel more excited, the pulsing in his dick throbbing harder.

Without looking back, Chanyeol lifts one foot, then the other, onto the railing, his body teetering back and forth between falling to his death as the feeling of vertigo makes his head spin.

He almost has time to realise how stupid this is, but before he can do anything to save himself, Sehun kneels down in front of him, and Chanyeol’s body reels, watching Sehun lick his lips in anticipation. His cock springs forth when Sehun tugs down his jeans, the air freezing until Sehun brings his face closer, his hot breath teasing the tip as he grabs hold of the base once again. The long lick up its length drives Chanyeol insane, pleasure shooting through his veins, and when Sehun begins to close his mouth over the whole thing Chanyeol grips tightly onto the hair on his scalp. He tries to push and pull him to do what he wants, but Sehun fights against it, blowing him so slowly Chanyeol thinks it’ll kill him.

With every pump Sehun gets slightly faster, taking more and more of Chanyeol’s throbbing cock into his hot, wet mouth, and when he finally hollows out his cheeks, the pressure becomes all too much, Chanyeol throwing his head back and losing his footing, his heart jumping when he feels himself almost fall backwards. He isn’t small by any stretch, but Sehun takes him on like a champ, bobbing up and down on almost the entire length, his face only flinching slightly as Chanyeol’s tip starts to hit the back of his throat. With every few pumps, Sehun’s tongue laps around its girth, teasing Chanyeol between sucks, who desperately tries to rut into the pleasure against Sehun’s strong grip around his hips.

Noises spill pathetically out of Chanyeol’s mouth, he’s lost all sense as he chases his high, getting closer and closer with each moist pull of Sehun’s lips, everything intensifying when his lungs suddenly stop taking in air. His body starts to reach the edge before he even realises, faster than Chanyeol would have liked, but before he hits it, the wet heat suddenly disappears, and Chanyeol is left dizzy with the feeling of emptiness, the primal pain of blue balls making his body shatter as he stumbles and starts to fall back, Sehun catching him just in time and dragging him forward.

He falls against Sehun’s body, panting and heavy as all the cold oxygen floods back at once, only just aware that he could’ve almost died, the feeling of his bare and throbbing cock just shy of orgasm still pounding through his system, and he doesn’t even get a chance to catch his breath before Sehun spins him around, pinning him down onto the concrete beneath them on all fours. There’s a rough noise of a zipper behind him, and Chanyeol’s stomach flips, the anticipation of what’s about to happen making his wrists and knees shake against his weight, he doesn’t even remember the last time he got fucked--

“Wait--” Chanyeol chokes out, one singular coherent thought fighting its way through the horny fog in his brain. “We don’t have any--”

Interrupted by the unexpected sound of a lid popping, Chanyeol looks over his shoulder to see Sehun squeezing out a generous amount of lube onto his palm, staring back with a quizzical look.

“Wow, you really planned for this, huh?” Chanyeol huffs, the slightly bashful face Sehun makes in response twinging at his heart, but as his eyes trail downwards, even that feeling becomes clouded by the sight of Sehun’s fully erect cock, slender but longer than Chanyeol had ever let himself imagine. A small gasp escapes Sehun’s lips when he grips his own base, and Chanyeol watches in desperation as he lubricates his length, pumping it slowly all the way to the tip. It’s so much better than all of his wet dreams and fantasies combined, that Chanyeol can’t help but let out a whine as Sehun lets go of himself, although the way he grabs Chanyeol’s hips and draws him closer makes him know the best is yet to come.

With no warning, Sehun pushes a wet finger inside Chanyeol’s ass, who groans loudly in response, the sharp burn slowly being dulled out with each curl and twist. Each new digit has Chanyeol wincing, Sehun anything but patient, and the stretching of Chanyeol’s walls can barely keep up, but the feeling of being filled continues to push past the pain, his dick throbbing whenever Sehun almost brushes across his prostate. Before long, even three fingers aren’t enough anymore, and Chanyeol ruts pathetically against them, begging for them to reach further and further, too hungry for pleasure to feel any shame.

After what feels like an eternity, Sehun pulls them out, but before Chanyeol has a chance to get used to the feeling they’re being replaced by something much thicker, the tip beginning to push past Chanyeol’s rim. In a solid movement, Sehun thrusts the whole way in, making Chanyeol hiss sharply over Sehun’s load moan. Wasting no time, he already starts to pull back, way too soon, and the burning would be too much to bear if it weren’t for the noises that spill out of Sehun’s mouth. His hands pull Chanyeol closer with every drive of his hips, his grip tight as his body shakes above him, and Chanyeol knows he’d go through hell and back to keep Sehun feeling like this.

Eventually, the pain subsides, and the thickness of Sehun’s cock against his walls would be more than enough to keep Chanyeol going, his own dick already starting to leak. But with an extra hard thrust, Sehun hits his prostate and Chanyeol’s world goes white, the pleasure shooting through his core as he chokes on his gasp, the air suddenly thinner than before. Chanyeol whines and pushes back, over and over, desperate for Sehun to find that spot again.

A hand leaves his hip and a second later, Chanyeol feels it in his hair gripping tightly, and with a sudden movement, pulling him back, the sting on his scalp now only turning him on more as Sehun holds him upright against his chest. He’s facing the endless nightscape of Shanghai head on, and a shiver runs across Chanyeol’s skin, feeling exposed even though no one can see them up here.

Sehun pulls back and drives forward, slamming into Chanyeol’s prostate again, and  _ fuck _ , it feels amazing. Chanyeol can’t do anything but rut against Sehun’s cock as he continues to hit the spot dead on each time, and despite his knees scraping against the harsh concrete and the lack of oxygen pulsing in and out, all his body can taste is pleasure.

Tugging on his hair tighter, Sehun’s other hand grabs Chanyeol’s, forcing him to start pumping his own cock, and Chanyeol doesn’t know how he’s meant to keep it together, their fingers melding as they jerk his length hard and fast.

“ _ Hotter, _ ” Sehun breathes into his ear, and Chanyeol understands instantly, making the heat in his palm build to the point before it flames up, and combined with the friction, it’s almost burning, but feels so fucking good against his skin.

At this rate, Chanyeol won’t last much longer, the pressure building inside him more and more with every thrust, and judging by the sharpness of his movements and the breathy moans against Chanyeol’s neck, Sehun isn’t far behind. All of the danger of their situation is forgotten, Chanyeol has completely given himself to Sehun, it’s all he can do, and he doesn’t even fight to breathe when he feels the oxygen around him cut out, the lack of air in his lungs making his cock throb against his iron-hot hand. He’s so caught up in his rush that Chanyeol barely hears the sudden groan Sehun lets out, only feeling his hot cum fill him up in the final few seconds, before everything builds to a peak and he reaches his own orgasm, racking through his core in wave after wave, hitting him over and over with each final thrust against his prostate and pull on his cock. Chanyeol’s body shivers in the aftermath, the feeling so much stronger with his head so dizzy and light, still no air to hold onto. 

The lights start to spin around him, becoming fuzzier, and as his high rides down, the burning in his lungs rapidly starts to catch up with him, and Chanyeol has no time to recover before his world suddenly goes black.

\--

Chanyeol slips through his front door before locking, deadlocking and shoving a stopper underneath it, his bag of instant ramen swinging against his wrist’s rapid movements.

It’s been two whole weeks and Chanyeol still can’t believe he’s been left alive.

The icy morning air, sore back and throbbing ass Chanyeol had to wake up to had been hell, until he realised that he probably shouldn’t have woken up at all. He can only assume Sehun’s clone had taken pity on him after their night together, but he still knows where he lives, and Chanyeol’s spent every moment paranoid as fuck that his luck will run out.

His only other fear is that the others will somehow find out, and the fact that Chanyeol not only failed to kill a clone, but instead let one fuck him into oblivion, probably won’t go down well with anyone on their side. They’d probably call him a traitor, and Chanyeol couldn’t really blame them if they did.

Stuffing his face with noodles, Chanyeol chokes on them when his phone suddenly buzzes with a Kakao message, coughing on miso as he looks over to its screen with dread.

_ Fuck _ . It’s from Junmyeon.

Chanyeol doesn’t even want to read it, his stomach churning and his already low appetite now completely gone, but the anxiety will eat him alive until he gets this over with.

With shaky fingers, he picks up his device and swipes up, wincing as he expects the worst.

_ 20:46pm _

_ X-Sehun terminated. _

The shock freezes Chanyeol cold, hitting him hard in the chest. He can only stare at his screen, the light burning into his retinas as he’s overwhelmed with emotions he can’t even begin to understand.

He should be relieved, right? Happy that one more clone has been killed, especially one that knew his whereabouts and was probably just days away from killing him. But his heart grows heavy, a dead weight against his ribs, pulling him down into a guilty despair he’s ashamed of feeling.

Before he can stop himself, Chanyeol’s fingers are tapping against the screen to call Junmyeon. He doesn’t even know why, but something inside Chanyeol is yearning to know more, as if hearing the details will be able to convince himself that this is a good thing.

When he doesn’t answer, Chanyeol calls again, the second time only ringing once before the call picks up, Junmyeon hissing on the other end.

“You shouldn’t be calling me.” Always cautious about contact, Chanyeol had expected Junmyeon to lash out, but that’s the least of his worries.

“I know…” Chanyeol starts, his mouth speaking before his mind has even formed the words. “I just-- I don’t know, I wanted to hear about--”

Junmyeon cuts him off. “Don’t worry, Chanyeol,” Junmyeon says, his tone softer. “It was definitely a clone. I checked it’s DNA, it was completely fucked up.”

“And it--” Chanyeol stutters, tripping over his tongue as his chest stays strained. “It was definitely Sehun’s?”

“Yeah, like I said, I checked the DNA.” Junmyeon replies. “The same chromosones as Sehun’s but just... wrong.”

Chanyeol sighs, letting out a breath he didn’t realise he was holding, but his stomach still feels unsettled, something not sitting right.

“It was almost a miracle I was able to get a sample…” Junmyeon starts to ramble, old habits die hard, it seems, and Chanyeol starts to tune him out, his nerves still tangled in knots. “The body had been decomposing for months by the time I found it--”

“What?” Chanyeol stops dead in his tracks, jaw dropping.  _ Months? _

“Lucky, right? The autopsy said the clone had died last summer, it should have been imposs--”

Chanyeol instantly hangs up, moving on autopilot and letting the phone slip out of his frozen hands.

How could Sehun’s clone have died  _ last summer? _ How could his corpse have been decomposing for  _ months? _ Chanyeol saw him  _ two weeks ago _ .

His mind is reeling as the world starts to break down around him, everything he thought until now suddenly flipped, because if Sehun’s clone has been dead this whole time, there’s only one other possibility.

With a broken sob, Chanyeol feels his heart shattering, his opportunity to find Sehun dangled under his nose and then yanked away. The realisation is crushing as Chanyeol sinks into the folds of his couch, replaying each moment of that night in an entirely different way, picking them apart until he’s left with so many ignored signs that he hates himself.

It feels like hours before he can find the strength to drag himself up again, wandering in a numbed trance to the window that overlooks the city, its endless lights taunting him with what he almost had.

Through hazy vision, he looks down at his street, the same as how he spends most nights, watching the 24 million people of Shanghai bustling below. 

All of them pass by in a blur, fading into nothing, until his eyes lock onto one tall figure in the distance, who seems to be staring straight back at him.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading my fic!!
> 
> if you liked it, please please please leave a comment, it would make my day ;U;
> 
> i have many more chanhun fics (both smutty and fluffy) so if you would like, please also check those ones out!!
> 
> my twitter handle is @poodleyeol, come and be my friend!!!


End file.
